Haunted Nights ✅ Completed

Chapter Seven: A Fate Worse Than Death

A Fate Worse Than Death

Maya tried hard to hold onto her composure as plates laden with food materialized right in front of her. This was followed by a heavy crystal glass filled to the brim with a deep red wine. Daniel ignored his own plate and glass and began his story.

“Over two hundred years ago my family owned much of this vast territory. We were the most prosperous family in the entire region, though back then it was easier to make one’s fortune so long as you worked hard and your luck held out.” He closed his eyes and remembered it all like it was yesterday. “My father had hundreds of workers.”

Maya snorted. “You mean slaves.”

Daniel’s eyes snapped open and his voice held an unyielding, harsh tone that was worse than any shouting, “No. We never owned slaves. Contrary to popular belief, not every farm in the South owned slaves – some were too poor and others valued the life of a man, any man. My father was of the latter persuasion. Everyone on his land worked for a living and got paid; those who wanted to leave were free to do so.”

“I’m sorry…I guess I just assumed...” Maya started to apologize but he spoke over her.

“Well, you assumed wrong. My father abhorred slavery - as did the rest of my family. He raised us to be like him, fair and compassionate. He never judged a man’s worth by the color of his skin but rather by the way he led his life. My father never said a harsh word to anyone, never raised his voice and commanded respect from everyone.” Taking a deep breath he continued more calmly, regaining his even, smooth tone. “We worked hard and we prospered because of it. I took over my father’s farm when I was seventeen.”

“That’s awfully young.”

“Not back then it wasn’t. I ran it all and though I was reckless in my youth I knew what to do, what my responsibilities were. Our plantation flourished and soon I travelled in order to sell everything we yielded. My younger brothers were charged with the daily running of our farm and my father and I travelled all over the country.

“The marvels of our young country left a country boy like myself rather speechless. Cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia were about as far away from a farm in Louisiana as the moon. But, the blood of my French father was strong and it was New Orleans that I fell in love with. It was an international bazaar of peoples, food, music and art. It was like a brand new world to me.”

The sound of Daniel’s voice held her transfixed. She could just imagine a time back when the country was still new. Wild and exotic; full of people from all over the globe – before the horrors of rampant slavery and the bloodshed of the Civil War, before the country was torn apart by blood and death. Maya was so captivated by Daniel’s tale she hadn’t touched her food yet.

“I found life in New Orleans to be…intoxicating; the women, the nightlife, all of it called to me. I spent my days selling crops and my nights enjoying everything the city had to offer. The women were so beautiful. They wore gowns from Paris and smelled of expensive perfumes. I found myself with a different woman every night but I was young. I didn’t know hearts were fragile things, easily broken and often irreparable. All of that changed the day I met Isadora.”

“Who?” she asked, feeling the fine hairs rise on the nape of her neck.   

Daniel frowned though it was not something Maya could see, “You’re not eating. I promise you the food is perfectly safe.”

“How do I know that?” she countered, looking down at her plate. It sure looked amazing, but what if ended up killing her too?

As if reading her mind Daniel spoke again, “The food didn’t kill me.”